September 12, 2012

The media strains "to shift the focus from the Obama administration’s failure to protect our embassies and for its apologies (both before and after the attack on the Cairo Embassy) to whether Mitt Romney was wrong to criticize Obama last night."

As those statements [from various Republicans] came out, Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, stood by his criticism that a statement from the American Embassy in Cairo condemning the intolerance of an anti-Muslim Internet video was tantamount to “an apology for American values.”

As if that means Romney doesn't denounce the attack! That's a way of flipping the problem, which is the Obama administration's insufficient denouncement, as if the murderers had some justification... which reminded me, on 9/11, of lefty chatter I heard on 9/11/01 that the terrorist attacks were provoked by racism in the United States.

We are seeing daily new lows in the so-called MSM. Their inability to report honestly about Obama and his administration is disgusting. As kids we laughed about Pravda, but our MSM is no laughing matter.

Journolist sinks to new lows blaming Romney for telling the truth about No Leadership Surrendering Obama after a 9/11 memorial attack from AlQaeda.

The entire alphabet Net propaganda teams carried Hilary live as if the assaisnation done in Lybia was a type of 9/11 event and tried very hard to conflate the Egyptian apology criticism a day before with the Libyan attack done a day later.

So far Mitt, shoot from the hip pol, has offended England and given, according to Putin reason for Russia to oppose NATO's missile defense system, and now makes false claims about The White House's stance rather than state his concern over the loss of American lives. He is on a roll to continue another four years running for office until he gets it right.

I watched Hillary Clinton's address, and then Romney's, and then Obama's. Romney took a few questions after his speech, and the talking points were laughably obvious: Governor Romney, in the cold light of today's new facts, was it a mistake to lash out so quickly? Governor Romney, do you feel like an idiot for saying what you did last night, before you had all the facts? Mittens, you ignorant slut, when did you stop beating that slut, your wife?

The media keeps embarrassing itself and highlighting that they are simply house organs of the democratic party. Eventually as the viewership and readership keeps declining one or more of the majors will go out of bussiness. Will the others if nothing more than for self survival learn?

Look, in President Obama's defense, how was he supposed to know that apologizing to the crazed Islamists who stormed one embassy, offering them public affirmation from the leader of (what was until recently) the most powerful nation on earth, would encourage an attack on another?

REPORTER: the statement you referred to was a toughly worded statement last night. Do you regret the tone at all given what we know?

ROMNEY: the embassy in Cairo put out a statement after their grounds had been breached, protestors were inside the grounds, they reiterated that statement after the breach. I think heights a terrible course for America to stand in apology for our values, that instead when our ground are being attacked and being breached that the first response of the united states must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation. An apology for America’s values is never the right course.

REPORTER: governor Romney do you think, though, coming so soon after the events really had unfolded overnight was appropriate, to be weighing on this as this crisis is unfolding in real time?

ROMNEY: the white house also issued a statement saying it tried to distance itself from those comments and said they were not reflecting of their views. I had the exact same reaction. These views were inappropriate. They were the wrong course to take when our embassy has been breached by protestors. The first response should not be to say, yes, we stand by our comments that suggest that there is something wrong with the right of free speech.

REPORTER: what did the white house do wrong, then, Governor Romney if they put out a statement saying they disagreed witness?

ROMNEY: their administration spoke. the president takes responsibility not just for the words that come from his mouth but also for the words that come from his ambassadors from his administration, from his embassies, from the state department. They clearly sent mixed messages to the world, and the statement that came from the administration, and the embassy is the administration. The statement that came from the administration was a statement which is akin to apology and I think was a severe miscalculation.

REPORTER: you talk about mixed signals. The world was watching, isn’t this assault a mixed signal when you criticize the president when Americans are being killed shouldn’t politics stop.

ROMNEY: we were speaking about the different courses we could take with regard to the challenges the world faces. The president and I have differences of opinion with regard to Israel and our policies there, with regards to Iran, with regards to Afghanistan, with regards to Syria we have many distinctions and differences. We join together in the condemnation of attacks on the American embassies and the loss of American life and join in sympathy for these people. It’s also important for me just as it was for the white house last night by the way to say that the statements were inappropriate, and in my view a disgraceful statement on the part of our administration to apologize for American values.

REPORTER: governor some people have said that you jumped the gun a little in putting that statement out last night and you should have waited until more details were available. Do you regret having that statement come out so early before we learned about all the things that were happening?

ROMNEY: I don’t think we ever hesitate when we see something which is a violation of our principles. We express immediately when we feel that the president and his administration have done something which is than consistent with the principles of America. Simply put, having an embassy which has been breached and has protestors on its grounds. Having violated the sovereignty of the United States. Having to embassy reiterating a statement apologizing for the right of free speech is not the right course for an administration.

REPORTER: if you had known last night that the ambassador had died, I’m gathering you did not know. That came later. If you had known that the ambassador had died.

ROMNEY: I’m not going to take hypothetical what would have been known when and so forth. We responded last night in the events that happened in Egypt.

REPORTER: now that foreign policy and the situation in the middle east has been thrust into the presidential campaign can you talk about why specifically you’re better qualified than president Obama to handle these specific issues.

ROMNEY: I think president Obama has demonstrated a lack of clarity as to a foreign policy. My foreign policy has three fundamental branches. First, confidence in our cause, a recognition that the principles America is based upon is not something we shrink from or apologize for. That we stand for those principles. The second is clarity in our purpose which is when we have a foreign policy objective we describe it openness lee and clearly to the American people, to congress, and to the people of the world. And number three, is resolve in our might. That in those rare circumstances, those rare circumstances where we decide it’s essential for us to apply military might, that we do so with force and with clarity of mission and with the US mission involved and understand when it will be complete, what will be left behind us when that mission has been terminated? These elements I believe are essential to our foreign policy and I haven’t seen them from the president. As I’ve watched over the past three and a half years the president has had some successes, he’s had some failures, it’s a hit-or-miss approach but it has not based upon sound foreign policy.

REPORTER: How specifically governor Romney would a president Romney has handled this situation differently than president Obama? You spoke out before midnight when all the facts weren’t known, how would you have handled this differently than the president did.

ROMNEY: I spoke out when the key fact was known, which was that the embassy of the United States issued what appeared to be a policy for American principles. That was a mistake. I believe when a mistake is made of that significance you speak out.

What a surprise! And Obama is now attacking Romney's lack of foreign policy experience?!

The economy is a wreck! The Middle East is a disaster. Obama is hoping to deal "more flexibly" with the Russians while pursuing unilateral disarmament. Our dependence on Arab oil continues while they murder us and the administration illegally blocks exploration in the Gulf and blocks the Keystone Pipeline. Our Justice Dept. delivers murder weapons to Mexican drug cartels and Obama helps them cover it up.

Half the people in this country support this incompetent and live in an alternative universe perpetuated by Democrat propaganda in the news media. We are toast!

NPR on Dianne Rehm this morning was totally disgraceful in their reporting - the whole first section was a denunciation over "insults" to Big Mo that "caused" this crisis. The reporter had time to denounce all the "terrible things" in the film, but not much to anything else.

She finally calmed down and noted that she had NEVER seen an embassy attacked like the one in Cairo - where the police did nothing to protect the place. Why, you might get the idea that the whole thing was planned.

I read this is another attempt by Morsi to remove the generals in Egypt for their "failure" to control this situation - just wait and see what happens there.

Other media - like the Guardian in Britain are demanding that free speech does NOT include the right to "offend religious sensibilities."

Channel 4 in the UK canceled the showing of the documentary by prominent scholar Tom Holland questioning whether Mohammed actually existed - or whether he was fabricated to give legitimacy to a new desert born empire.

I have not heard one peep from anyone in the media saying that the nutjobs in the riots can never be reasoned with and that the West needs to let them know that freedom of expression means freedom to offend.

C'mon folks, give the President some time to consult his focus groups. He's busy trying to save at least 1 American job and he can't be expected to know what he should say/do when, y'know, there's been attacks on sovereign American soil and diplomats murdered by a barbarous horde, all because some knuckledragging right-winger nutjob thought he could express some sort of "freedom of speech."

The last time an American Ambassdor was killed was 1979' Carter was President...... something I think God... Is giving Americans every chance to see clearly what this election about, and to pick correctly.

The bizarro opening paragraph to that NYT's article, which seems to suggest that Romney isn't that upset about the attack:

After an initial burst of criticism, most Republicans in Washington — even some of President Obama’s fiercest critics — joined Democrats in denouncing the violent attacks on American Embassies in Egypt and Libya while refraining from criticizing the Obama administration’s response.

An outrageous act of war is committed against the US, costing the lives of four representatives of the US, and from our "leader," we get...

Does anyone here doubt for a moment that had some fanatical right-wing nut attacked a federal government installation, killing four civil servants, that Obama wouldn't be hectoring all of now on civility and the extremist Republicans?

How much more does anyone need to know what a disaster it was electing this affirmative action hire to the presidency?

By noting inefficencies in their Olympics planning, all of which were borne out as the event proceeded. It's not Romney's fault the English didn't care to hear from a man who actually ran an Olympics.

and given, according to Putin reason for Russia to oppose NATO's missile defense system

According to Putin. What's the matter, R/V, Baghdad Bob not available?

and now makes false claims about The White House's stance rather than state his concern over the loss of American lives.

The embassy apologized for offending Muslim swine. Romney responded to this groveling idiocy. The White House whined about Romney around 11.30 last night. It took them eight hours before they could bother to respond to the attack on our embassy.

He is on a roll to continue another four years running for office until he gets it right.

You haven't quite reached garbage's level of hackery yet, R/V, but you are a fucking liar.

And speaking of hacks -

(5) time Vietnam War deferment cheney er draft dodger cheney would already be on his way to Libya to lead the cavalry lol.

Ah, yes. Dissent is now once again unpatriotic, and candidates for the Oval Office once again must have military service records.

No wonder you people love murdering babies; when you have no conscience, standards or morals, why should anything bother you?

Yeah, I read it. Which is why I think you're being an idiot, again, Reasonable. Romney is talking the situation in Egypt. The situation in Libya is different, yet, everyone seems to want to pretend his response to Egypt is his response to Libya.

Because they are idiots. Are you an idiot? If not, stop acting like the other idiots.

I rarely reply to idiots such as yourself, but I would remind you that the "Selective Service" draft defermentsof which Cheney availed himself were installed into law by a Democrat Congress and signed by a Democrat President in an attempt to rationalize the induction process so as to save people whose services would be more vital to the general cause than as cannon fodder, using the VERY SAME logic that saw farmers exempt from the draft in WW II in order to utilize their unique skills to feed the troops and the nation.

Attaboy, shiloh! You really gave that Cheney bounder what-for! He'll rue the day he tangled with shiloh!

But, well, I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but Mr. Cheney's not in the White House anymore. Yes, I know it's all very confusing, but try to follow along. See, it's actually 2012 now, and a couple years back we had this thing called an "election"...

Seriously, go over to Democratic Underground and see what these dumb asses on the Left think... they actually think this has doomed Romney's election.

Look, it could doom Romney, if Obama were to articulate a serious, forceful response to these events. He's the President, so he has a lot more ability to control the course of events, while Romney is stuck on the sidelines.

As it is, though, the President's rhetorical response has been weak sauce, and lickspittle journalists appear to have got the message that the President's campaign wants to bury this thing, presumeably so the public aren't tempted to draw the obvious Carter parallel.

Obama: "While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants."

Really? President Obama rejects our 1st Amendment rights?

Everyone is free in this country to unequivocally denigrate other's beliefs via speech. Full stop. If your beliefs are so fragile that you murder people when they offend you. You are the problem.

"So far Mitt, shoot from the hip pol, has offended England and given, according to Putin reason for Russia to oppose NATO's missile defense system, and now makes false claims about The White House's stance rather than state his concern over the loss of American lives."

How is this different than Obama? Well, except for the Putin part. Obama chose to offend the Poles instead of the Russians on that topic, because I guess he sees the Russians as closer allies or something like that.

Your quote is absurd in the context of Bush's administration, where the war was the issue, using dead soldiers by name and by funeral to attempt to attack the President.

The reality is that arguing over the key issues facing this nation is precisely what an election is about. Do we have the leader we need or do we need to have a new leader. Such prospective leaders thus say what they see as wrong and what they would do different.

The false outrage against Romney in addressing one of the most clear foreign policy regions of the last 2 decades is beyond absurd.

Just as Kerry and Obama addressed the war in Iraq and Afghanistan so too should our national leaders address where policies work and where they fail.

As many of us have said before, what would it take for the idiot liberals to see what a inept, incompetent con man Obama is? If he's so friggin smart, wonderful, omniscient, why's everything such a mess? A man with the powers he has should be able to fix all things in 30 seconds or less.

The movie only killed one person. And he wasn't a muslim. He was tolerant is islam. The weeds are growing up in Libya now that the totalitarian power is gone. Good foreign policy? Probably not, I would say a shortsighted foreign policy that is firing blindly at issues. And hoping for a hit here or there.

When You Learn They’re Not ReadyRomney’s attack was not only ill-judged and ill-timed, it was actually based on what appears to be a demonstrable falsehood. Romney, or folks writing in his name at his campaign, claimed that the administration’s first response to the attacks was to issue a press release condemning the anti-Islam film which had helped trigger the attack. This they picked wholesale from the right-wing blogosphere.

In fact, according to all available press reports and the account of the State Department, the press release in question came from the US Embassy in Egypt and preceded the attacks. So to claim it was a response to the attacks was simply false. So while American diplomats were dying in the field, Romney pops up with an egregious attempt to politicize the deaths with a flat out lie.

Balfegor said "Look, it could doom Romney, if Obama were to articulate a serious, forceful response to these events."

I agree. Our President still probably has time to turn it around. Come before the podium, talk not about decrying things in strongest terms but instead about how we've got a few planes and helicopters at the ready, and say, as Romney said, that Americans will never surrender the rights of its people to say and film even the dumbest, most offensive things.

Hillary is more upset with the teeny weeny tiny minority in Libya that perpetrated the horror than is the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood Government! Most Libyans love us and wish us no ill, she insists. That's how much she loves Libya and wants to assure us that the turd world is MAHVELOUS, DARLING.

Sammy: The last time an American Ambassador was killed was 1979' Carter was President...... something I think God... Is giving Americans every chance to see clearly what this election about, and to pick correctly.

Obama is God's wakeup call for America. Much of America, particularly women apparently, is not waking up.

If this all turns out to be true, and Obama literally ignored all of this evidence -- which by the way, is infinitely more clear than anything Bush ever got -- his presidency should be over. The election won't even be close.

Andy R. said...When You Learn They’re Not ReadyRomney’s attack was not only ill-judged and ill-timed, it was actually based on what appears to be a demonstrable falsehood. Romney, or folks writing in his name at his campaign, claimed that the administration’s first response to the attacks was to issue a press release condemning the anti-Islam film which had helped trigger the attack. This they picked wholesale from the right-wing blogosphere.

In fact, according to all available press reports and the account of the State Department, the press release in question came from the US Embassy in Egypt and preceded the attacks. So to claim it was a response to the attacks was simply false. So while American diplomats were dying in the field, Romney pops up with an egregious attempt to politicize the deaths with a flat out lie.

Romney is desperate and it is showing in this moment. This is a man who has spent his entire life without any principles beyond taking advantage of distressed businesses. When the U.S. is in distress his basic instinct is to kick it to see if he can gain an advantage.

The "man without principles" shut down his business to find a missing girl and sat with a dying boy to comfort him. It is unbecoming to lie so blatantly. He has been moderate and wishy-washy in politics, but Romney's principles are clear.

What if Israel were to attack the day after the election? That would be some sticky shit, depending on who wins.

If it were to happen soon, we all realize that regardless of how bad it would get for our interests, it would be endurable and things would recover. If it happens much farther down the road, it gets much less so, and eventually we will be ashamed of ourselves.

A senior U.S. official tells CNN that U.S. unmanned surveillance drones are expected to begin flying over Benghazai and other locations in eastern Libya to look for jihadi encampments and targets that may be tied to the attack on U.S. State Department personnel.

Apparently it's not killer robots this time, but we can let the Libyans take a crack at it first. Rather than putting about his usual cant, Obama should have said

"We condemn these attacks against our diplomatic personnel in Libya. In minutes, our drones will be swarming over the skies of Benghazi. My press secretary will update you with new developments."

Obama: No Presidential Intelligence Breifings The Week Before The Attacks

Sure, why would anyone think there might be some violence on 9/11?

By the way: In Bengazi, a staffer wrote (in an online gaming forum; he was an EVE player)...

"(12:54:09 PM) vile_rat: assuming we don't die tonight. We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures."It seems the embassy staff knew something was coming -- why was Obama not doing something about this? Such as... evacuating the staff? Sending in Marines?

Intelligence ignored? Straight from the mouth of an embassy staffer looking right at the guy casing the compound?

On 9/11?

Additionally, the US was warned that extremists might attempt to burn down the embassy. On Monday.

. The Islamic Group has threatened to burn the U.S. Embassy in Cairo with those in it, and taking hostage those who remain [alive], unless the Blind Sheikh is immediately released.”This explains why they had, in this case, evacuated most of the staff. What it doesn't explain is why the administration was otherwise so flat-footed -- including in Benghazi.

Libya Attack Pre-Planned, Coordinated With Muslim Brotherhood:

It sure does look that way.

But the important story here isn't what Obama failed to do to forestall the attacks, but what Romney said in response to his failure.

He can't be bothered to listen to his security briefings right before everywhere turns up their color-coded security dials... -I- was more aware that I should pay more attention around the D.C. area yesterday the president. That's... a problem.

We don't have any American reporting from on the ground in Libya. Why? It's too damned dangerous. I'm not calling them cowards. It's justifiable prudence.

When the details of these deaths do come out, they are going to be very ugly. Right now we can't trust any facts coming from Libya. Or Washington, for that matter. Too murky. Too much self interested spin.

Noonan is right though. Mitt should have just shut up.

I do predict that there will be some well publicized vengeance missions by the US Before The Election. Obama will not let this opportunity pass.

That will also be misdirection. The real scandal is not some wishy washy statement. It's that Obama and Clinton did not provide sufficient security, on a regular and ongoing basis, for our diplomats. It's also that respect (fear is part of respect) for America is at such a low ebb under Obama that the radicals feel free to murder our representatives.

I now expect more grandstanding by Obama. The media will parrot it. And the people will be duped again

Since, according to Hillary! the Libyans love us so much, I'd really like to invite the SoS to go for a stroll down one of the main Tripoli avenues where she can be thronged by admiring crowds. I bet they'd throw flowers.

Obama: "While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants."

Yawn. Anonymous sources. Like the ones that said, who was it, Haley or Bachman? were being investigated by the IRS and that McCain was having an affair with Iseman?

Sorry, anonymous sources get no benefit of the doubt when leveled against Republicans because they've been wrong so often.

Better still, the only one who'd agree to be quoted for attribution was Rick Perry's foreign policy adviser. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume "a very senior Republican foreign policy hand" = "a guy wearing a Real Madrid jersey in the line at Starbucks who swears he's always voted GOP."

Well, since they thought a plant closing in April 2009 didn't close during Obama's term, maybe the media really, honestly, truly, are just confused about time. Imagine how they handle time travel in all its timey-wimey-ness.

And anyone who would give up essential liberties for a little bit of security deserves neither. That includes every single person who is blaming those who expressed their opinion of Muhammad and not those who had a violent, planned, tantrum on 9-11.

MSM doesn't know how read a timeline. Since they cannot do this, their next line is to attack Romney, because, hey, that's what lefty shills do.

To the extent that you have an argument it is that Romney was an idiot for making his statements without understanding where things were going. It is hard to believe someone could have such a cursory understanding of how things can play out in the middle east to make such a statement. I guess in your mind being dumb beats being a traitorous sleazebag. My view is Romney is a smart sleazebag who just accepts he is going to get caught out by reality every now and then and doesn't give a shit.

Reasonable, you've yet to answer: You do realize there were TWO attacks, right? And that Romney's comment about the attack in Cairo was echoed by the Obama response? Romney and Obama were so correct about the response being bad, that the embassy got rid of it -- deleted it entirely.